Oklahoma State University Receives Gift for Health Care Programs

July 16, 2008

Oklahoma State University has received a $250,000 gift from the Northwest Oklahoma Osteopathic Foundation to endow a professorship in primary care programs.

Once fully matched dollar-for-dollar by T. Boone Pickens’ $100 million chair match commitment, as well as the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the gift will provide $1 million of impact in endowed funds.

The Enid-based foundation expects the endowment and the creation of a new osteopathic residency program will be beneficial to Enid and the northwest part of the state. The program provides an opportunity for medical residents to serve and learn in Enid as they acclimate to the community, build relationships and consider locating their practice in the area.

The gift will create the Northwest Oklahoma Osteopathic Foundation Endowed Professorship of Primary Care Programs within the OSU-Center for Health sciences. Earnings from the fund will support northwest Oklahoma primary care programs, including financial support for faculty, residents and students

OSU also received a $1.86 million gift from the late Laurence L. and Georgia Dresser to create four endowed faculty positions in rural medicine, rural health policy, rural sociology and rural teacher education.

Once fully matched dollar-for-dollar by Pickens’ match commitment and the regents, the gift will provide nearly $7.5 million of impact in endowed funds.

The gift will create a chair in rural medicine and a chair in rural health policy within OSU’s Center for Health Sciences. Additionally it will create a professorship in rural sociology for the College of Arts & Sciences and a professorship in rural education located in the College of Education.